10 talking points ahead of the Allianz Football League

Orchard ripe for progress?

Given the Covid-impacted regional spread of games for last year's league, this is Armagh’s first proper run of games in the top-flight since 2012.

Kieran McGeeney’s men begin their campaign in Dublin with a visit of All-Ireland champions Tyrone a week later. Should they need a positive result to end the campaign, a trip to Letterkenny at the end of March could be a significant challenge.

The Orchard County showed glimpses of what they can offer in last year’s shortened league format and were downed by Monaghan in a shootout of a provincial semi-final. The O’Neill brothers will be central figures for them, and the middle cluster of games – home ties with Monaghan and Kildare sandwiched by an away game against Mayo at Dr Hyde Park – could prove crucial in what is likely to be a highly competitive Division 1 campaign.

O'Connor seeking Kingdom evolvement

For Kerry’s opening league fixture to be set for Newbridge and a return to Kildare for Jack O’Connor merely adds to the interest to the start of the league campaign.

Kerry fans will be hopeful that O’Connor will replicate his first years in charge (2004 and 2009) in his previous two stints and lead the county back to the summit, and this year’s league will offer clues as to whether the green and gold can address the areas where they have fallen short under Peter Keane.

Wins over Limerick, Tipperary and Cork in the McGrath Cup offered the opportunity to introduce fresh faces to the panel, but it’s Kerry’s defensive shape that will be under the microscope most with the championship looming on the horizon.

Stefan Okunbor’s return from AFL is a timely boost and offers options around the middle and at full-back, while Spa’s Dan O’Donoghue has been given early